Home Beautiful

I have been reading Home Beautiful,by J.R. Miller. It is an old book from 1912 and was revised in 1993 and reprinted in 2000. Though it is old and maybe considered by some old fashioned in it's content, I have found it helpful and practical. He has suggestions and opinions about the family that you can take or leave, but when it comes down to biblical principals, they are timeless and transcend culture. The counsel he gives in this book regarding our roles, married life, children's responsibilities, etc. that are biblical, apply to us today whether or not we deem it culturally relevant or acceptable.

Here is a portion of the book that I am currently mulling over where he speaks of what the home can be when seen as a ministry:

Every true home is a blessing to the community where it stands. Its lights shine out. Its songs ring out. It's spirit breathes out.The neighbors know whether it is hospitable or inhospitable, warm or cold, inviting or repelling. Some homes bless no lives outside their own circle; others are perpetually pouring out sweetness and fragrance. The ideal christian home is a far-reaching benediction. It sets it's lamp in the windows,and while they give no less light to those within, they pour a little beam upon the gloom without, which may brighten some dark path and put a little cheer into the heat of some belated passerby. Its doors stand open with welcome to everyone who comes to seek shelter from the storm, or sympathy in sorrow, or help in trial. It is a hospice, where the weary or the chilled or the fainting are sure always of refreshment, of warmth, of kindly friendship, of gentle ministry of mercy. It is a place where one who is in trouble may go for sympathy and comfort. It is a place where the young people love to go, because they know they are welcome and because they find there inspiration and help.

And this spirit of the home the wife makes; indeed, it is her own spirit filling the house and pouring our light and fragrance. A true wife is universally beloved. She is recognized as one of God's angels scattering blessings as far as her hand can reach. Her neighbors are all blessed by her ministrations. When sickness or sorrow touches any other household, some token of sympathy finds its way from her hand into the shadowed home. To the old she is gentle and patient. To the young she is helpful. To the poor she is God's hand reached out. To the sufferer she brings strength. To the sorrowing she is consoler. There is trouble nowhere near but her face appears at the door and her hand brings its benediction.


I have to ask myself: What is the spirit, the fragrance of my home? Is it beautiful?

Book Study

Happy Monday!! Wow, I miss saying that! :) I do realize that I am writing this on a Sunday, but this is because I don't want to risk forgetting to do this before work in the morning and not getting the announcement up until Monday evening sometime.

Jasmine, Betsy, Karen, and I are officially inviting you to take part in a book study with us! Here is how it will go:

The Book: The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington

When: Thursday, July 16

If you are anything like us, you enjoy fellowship, talking with friends, growing in your walk with the Lord, and reading...but you are unable to find much time to do this with your friends. Which is why we are proposing something new, namely, an online book study.

So how will this work? Well, in the next couple of weeks (before July 16th!) go out and buy the Bookends of the Christian Life. I think I got mine off Amazon for 9 bucks. Then read the first chapter and on the 16th, get on the True Women blog. I am taking the first chapter, which is why its on a Thursday. I will post some of my own observations and comments about chapter one along with some questions. Then you all, along with Jasmine, Betsy, Karen, and I, will have a discussion in the comments section.

I believe that Jasmine is taking chapter two, so the next week she will do a post on Tuesday. Then whoever has chapter three will do that post the following week on her day. There will be an announcement each week to let you know who has the chapter for next week and what day it will be on.

The conversation in the comments section can go all week long. We will be checking in at least once a day to see anything new that you have to say. So if this idea appeals to you, but you wouldn't be able to read until Monday, don't let that stop you! Come in on Monday, read, and join in the discussion!

Feel free to comment about any observations you have about the chapter or what I have written. Ask any questions you have. Answer any questions others have posted.

I truly believe that if you try this you will like it. It will be a chance for us all to grow together in Christ and have good fellowship...even if it is over the Internet!

We very much desire for all of you to join us in this. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of us as you see us, shoot us an email, or call us. My own email is henry.nichole@gmail.com and I check it every day, usually more than once.

Remember Me O God

I just finished reading the book of Nehemiah for my daily bible reading. At the end of the book, Nehemiah returns from Persia and finds that the Jews in Jerusalem (specifically the priests and leaders of the people) have gone astray from following God and have intermarried with foreigners and allowed idols into the temple again, etc. He corrects these wrongs and chastises those responsible and calls them all to turn from their evil ways back to following God and His laws with a whole heart. After 3 separate accounts of how he challenges sin and stands up for "right", he calls upon God to remember him and to bless him. Here's what it says:

Nehemiah 13:14 "Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services."

Nehemiah 13:22b "For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness."

Nehemiah 13:31b "Remember me, O my God, for good."

This really got my attention and caused me to think. Will I stand up for what God says is good and right even in the face of potential conflict? Will I do it simply out of reverence for God and trust in Him that He will deliver me and provide for me whatever outcome is best?

Honestly though, I do not have many situations where people will mock and scorn me (to my face) for my beliefs. The bigger issue in my life is whether I will choose to do what is right and good, entrusting myself to God to bring about the best outcome. I don't live with some great fear that my neighbors will mock me and reject me because I tell them that Jesus is my Savior. However, when it comes down to the daily choices that I make - for example whether to submit to my husband with a smile and a contented heart - then I really see the application for my bible reading from Nehemiah.

For Nehemiah, he called upon God to bless him and remember him for good because he was in the midst of conflict with the people of Israel, but I must call upon God to bless me and remember me for good because I am in the midst of conflict within myself: namely, do I obey God and place myself in a position of weakness or do I obey my flesh and fight for my own desires. Nehemiah loved God and valued the gloriousness of God over his own desires so for Him the only good and right option (because of His God given role) was to challenge the sin going on around him and entrust himself to God. For me if I love God and value His gloriousness, then the good and right thing for me to do (because of my God given role) is to submit to God and as such my husband with all respect and honor. As such, I must focus my heart upon God and cry out with Nehemiah for God to see my obedience and to remember me in His lovingkindness, for good.

O God, strengthen me and lead me by your Holy Spirit to obey You with all reverence especially when it is difficult and then Father; remember me for good according to the greatness of your lovingkindness.

Respectable Sins - Part 4

Happy Thursday, er, evening :) I know I've mentioned before that we are having some troubles with the blog, particularly in that we are no longer able to post in advance and have it appear on the blog at the date and time we select. This seems to be plaguing me more than the other ladies because since this happened, I've missed my day (maybe every time??) several times! Just so you know...I always have something written. I just think, I'll post it in the morning before I go to work...and then I wake up and get ready for work and leave and then get home around five and think, 'wait a minute, today is Thursday!! shoot!' So I apologize to you all and sincerely hope that next week I will remember!

Today I am going to talk briefly on Judgmentalism. Jerry Bridges, in his book Respectable Sins (which is where I stole the title of this series!) says, "The sin of judgmentalism is one of the most subtle of our "respectable" sins because it is often practiced under the guise of being zealous for what is right."

"What is right...." If you are anything like me, you have probably found yourself mistaking what is 'right' with a preference. For example, I am a firm believer that people should dress up for church: ladies should be wearing dress slacks or dresses and guys should be wearing a shirt and tie. In my head, this is how church should be! In the past, I have found myself thinking on several occassions that churches that don't follow this 'rule' aren't as mature as churches that do. Or, individuals who don't dress this way aren't as committed as the ones that do. However, in most instances, these conclusions are entirely incorrect! I was being judgemental of these people over a preference! Do I still prefer people dress a certain way when they go to church? You bet I do! But now, by God's grace, I am able to separate my personal feelings on the matter from reality and accept that some people are more comfortable wearing jeans.

Therefore, I would say the first step in fighting judgementalism is to look hard to see if what you are judging a person for is an actual sin or if its just something that makes you uncomfortable. "I would never play a card game!" "My daughters and I always wear dresses because they are more modest. The other ladies at our church are still not quite committed enough to see the truth of this." "People who drink beer are going to hell." "I just stopped by her house unexpectedly to drop something off and her front room was a mess! Her poor husband..." "She is clearly not a believer, did you see how she was dressed??" These are all judgemental thoughts - and all of them are sin.

I remember a time my sister Bekah and I had someone make the last comment about us, that we were clearly unbelievers because of the way we were dressed. Before you gasp in horor and try to imagine what we were wearing, let me tell you....we were wearing jeans. Thats right, only unbelieving women would consider wearing jeans! Christian women wear dresses.

Search your hearts, ladies. Pour into Scripture to discover if you are being judgemental. Are you really holding your children, husband, and friends to the standard that God has set forth in His Word or are you holding them to your own, stricter standard?

Next week (Lord willing!) I am going to discuss some ways that we show doctrinal judgementalism and how we can avoid it.

Witty Wednesdays

BIKER BAR IN FLORIDA

A Question and an Answer

Girl Talk answers a question from a woman struggling in her role as a wife and mother, particularly in regard to what it means to keep the home. I think it is a good question. The answer given seems biblical, gracious and clear.

Here is the question:


“Honestly, I still struggle in my role as wife and mother though I’ve lived in it for ten years now. So when I read Carolyn’s take on the Today Show a few days ago and the new book about sharing the home responsibilities 50/50, I just had a question, or maybe, a dilemma.

I stay at home full time, homeschooling my four children and I do love it. I wouldn’t want to work outside the home even if it was offered to me. But does that really mean that the husband has NO share in the household duties? Does that really mean that he should never wash some dishes, put laundry away, bathe a child, or pick up his own socks? I mean, if stuff needs to be done, should my husband be able to surf the web or watch a game while I tidy up after dinner and get the kids in bed? I guess I’m truly wondering if this is what It means to be a biblical woman? I WANT to be. I want to do my duties without grumbling and complaining. But it’s hard. It’s easy to feel like the maid. So, any words of wisdom in helping me to see this issue clearly and biblically, would be great.”

Here is part of the answer:

The command in Titus 2 to be “working at home” is further illuminated by 1 Timothy 5:14 where Paul says: “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander” (emphasis mine).

In the Greek, the phrase “manage their households” carries a strong connotation. It literally means to be the ruler, despot, or master of the house. So we see that “working at home” means we are to function as the home manager—taking full ownership for all the domestic duties of the household.

They go on to explain further and I think it is worth reading and considering, because as the writer says, " A clear and compelling vision of our God-given assignment as home managers will help us guard against complaining and resentment."

Don't worry, they are not advocating a woman exclusively cooking and cleaning, nor do they completely exclude men from any responsibility in the home.

Fw: post for editing

 

 

I really got alot out of Pastor Matt's sermon from Sunday June 14th.  It was on how to be a member of a community of believers, a real member, and how to show others what a real believer looks like.

 

First, he said that Jesus has sent us into the world to be "fishers of men".  I like that phrase.  For me that means that I need to take every opportunity to speak of Jesus and to show His love to those I deal with.  I know sometimes its not easy, and often it takes me out of my comfort zone, but it is expected of us.  I have had many instances since I broke my leg to tell others how the Lord has strengthened me and taken care of me.  Many people say "how can you be so happy when you have so many health problems?"  I have responded by telling them what the Lord has done in my life and that I am trusting in Him.  Many people also see the horrible scars on my leg and ask "what happened?"  There again, I can tell them how I am trusting in the Lord and what He has done in my life.  At first it was definately a hard thing to do.  What if they made fun of me?  What if they thought I was weird?  I have never had a negative response from people I have had a chance to tell about God and Jesus.  So, I have been getting bolder and bolder.

 

The second thing that really stuck in my mind was the fact that we are very valuable to God.  Sometimes I don't feel very valuable to anyone.  But then I remember the verses in the Bible that say that we are more valuable than sparrows and flowers.  When I look at flowers especially, I feel very valuable to God.  I see the intracinsies of the flower.  The many colors blending perfectly and the awsome detail.  And I think of how special God made that flower but, within a day or two it is gone.  Since I am a child of God, I will last forever, and if He took so much care in creating a flower, how much more did He take care in creating me and how special I must be to Him.

 

Another highlight for me was that we are to accept others because God accepts all of us.  Many times in my life I didn't feel accepted by my peers and it made me feel really sad.  My pride sometimes causes me to act in the same way.  But this is wrong.  Wouldn't it be great if we could all accept eachother?  I think that our body would grow stronger if we all did.  And when we invite others to our fellowship or small group meetings, if people could see the love and acceptance within our body, it would go a long way toward helping them feel that we are friends they would like to have and be more inclined to hear the message of salvation thru Jesus.

 

The last point that Pastor Matt made was that we should not think that we are above certain people or certain jobs.  Whenever I start to think that I am to good for this or that, I remember that Jesus gave up the glory He had in Heaven to humble Himself and become a human being so that He could die to save people who were His enemies.  I know that if I were asked to do that, I wouldn't think that it was a very good idea.  As a mother, I would have a real problem giving away one of my boys to die in someone elses place, whether they were friend, family or what ever.  But God the Father did that for us.  If Jesus, the KIng of Kings and Lord of Lords, was willing to humble himself to such a great degree for us, we should definately be willing to clean toilets, sweep floors or do anything that needs to be done for our fellowship, no questions asked.

 

 

 

 

Sin is So Regrettable

I was reading from Ezra in my bible reading this morning. In the book of Ezra, God's people have been disciplined strongly for their generations spent in rebellion to God and idolatry so they have been ravaged by many wicked nations and ultimately taken captive into a foreign nation: Babylon. Now eventually Babylon is conquered by Persia and Cyrus King of Persia is providentially moved by God to send the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God and to re-establish the worship of God in the temple. In Chapter 3 of the book of Ezra, the remnant of Jews who have returned to Jerusalem have just laid the foundation for the new Temple (as the temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians). Scripture says:

Ezra 3:11 - 4:1 11 They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.

The old men who had seen the temple of Solomon wept when they laid the foundation for the new temple. These guys were really old: they had been in captivity for 70 years. They may have just been children when they were taken captive and deported to Babylon, but they remembered the glory of the temple. I think to myself also about how the temple had fallen into disrepair under the reign of wicked kings and though it would undergo renovations occassionally, it probably didn't ever look as wonderful and as glorious as it did in Solomon's day. I believe that the old men were weeping not just because this new temple could not compare to the old temple, but because the beauty of the old Temple was representative of God's blessing that He had placed upon it and His people in a time when they were following God with a whole heart. God's temple was glorious and wonderful and beautiful because God's presence was there. Remember when Solomon built the Temple and blessed it, God's glory filled the Temple and came to rest in the Holy of Holies. When the Temple was destroyed, the glory of God departed from Israel. And they had gone so far away from following God with a whole heart that they were now in much different circumstances then they had been in the time of Solomon. I think the old men were weeping because of sin and how it seperates us from God. I think they were weeping because of how far sin takes us away from the blessings of being in God's presence.

This passage causes me to pause and assess my own life. Are there areas of my life where I am not worshipping God with my whole heart? And do I realize it and repent of it consistently or do I make provision for my flesh to continue on in sin.

Sin may seem small to us sometimes: "it was a small lie and I didn't want to hurt their feelings" or "I'm not apologizing to him. He has to apologize to me first"or "it was just a few extra bites of food. That doesn't make me a glutton"... but it all adds up to whether or not we are worshipping God or worshipping idols. And the Israelites had to endure alot of discipline because of idolatry. May God give us grace to repent of sin before we have to look back weeping at how far we have come from the presence of God.

Respectable Sins - Part 3

I do not have the time nor knowledge to fully address the problem of pride. And if I did, a blog post would hardly be an appropriate forum for the subject. However, I do firmly believe that pride is the root of all of our sin and as such should be discussed.

Whenever I begin to struggle with pride, or see it in my life, or watch as it results in me sinning - I go back to the gospel. I go all the way back to the beginning of the gospel...the part where we realize that we need it. As C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, "...it does not beginning with comfort; it begins in the dismay I have been describing, and it is no use at all trying to go on to that comfort without first going through that dismay." What is the dismay he is referring to? It is the realization that you are a sinner. What is pride? Pride is simply us thinking that we are better than the filthy, disgusting, loathsome, obscene, revolting, verminous sinners that we truly are! Pride is taking the glory for raising obedient kids. Pride is taking the credit when you get a base hit. Pride is the assumption that you will get to church safely in the morning - because apart from the grace of God, you won't! Pride is everywhere, haunting our every footsteps and we need to be constantly on the alert to do battle with it.

God is been gracious to give me recent opportunity to do battle with my pride. As some of you know, I no longer have a vehicle. For the past week and a half, I have been bumming rides off family and friends. It is a humbling experience...first of all to have to ask for rides and second of all to be dependent on everyone around you. "Mom, can I get a ride to work in the morning?" is not a sentence that any self respecting 22 year old should be asking! Again...pride. Its always there.

Thank you, Father, for this opportunity to see pride in my life. Thank you for your Son, my Savior and Mediator, who has paid for all of my sins. Thank you for my justification which provides me with the strength to fight my sin without discouragement because I know that the battle has already been won for me. Father, teach me to hate my sin more than I do. Fill me with such a loathing for it that I cannot help but cast it away from me! For I cannot glorify You and myself at the same time. You are the only One worth of glory, of my praise. Your faithfulness to your children is great and your mercy is more than I can grasp! Father, I confess my sin of pride to you. Teach me humility. Grow me more into the perfect image of Your Son, Jesus, who, being the beloved Son of God chose to humble Himself and be born as a man! I know nothing of humility, Father, this fact becomes truer to me every day I live. I sing with the the song, "I can't comprehend this fathomless love; I'm gripped and amazed by what you have done. How could the adored become the despised and bear all the furious wrath that was mine? How awesome this mystery of Your fathomless love for me!" Father, let my sin never be far from my mind. Do not let me grow comfortable with it. Give me the strength to fight it. Teach me more of Yourself for only then can I grow in humility.

Witty Wednesday

I love this video. This elderly couple seems so full of life! Very cute. Enjoy!

Do You Care About Biblical Womanhood?

I frequent Girl Talk's website because I find wisdom and encouragement there as I strive to understand God's calling in my life.

In a recent post, Carolyn Mahaney gives some reasons why she writes on this blog despite not enjoying writing. She says it is because she cares about biblical womanhood and so shall do what she can to promote it. This is what she writes:

I care about biblical womanhood because I love God’s Word.
I care about biblical womanhood because I long to promote God’s glory.

I care about biblical womanhood because I want to spread the gospel.

You see, Scripture, and what it says about Who created woman and what he created her to be and do is under assault from our post-modern, feminist-fed culture—at every point.

They belittle a woman’s calling in the home, marginalize motherhood, sneer at modesty, and abhor wifely submission. Yet these qualities are all an intrinsic part of God’s perfect, exquisitely beautiful design for women.

I have to ask myself, " Do I love God's Word, desire the spread of the gospel and the promotion of God's glory so much that I am willing to do my measly bit with the opportunities, people, and gifts God has given me?"

Living out and promoting biblical womanhood is not popular, but necessary for the sake of the gospel and the promotion of the glory of God.

So, in order to live this out and lead other women, especially my own daughter to live out life to the glory of God I really need to understand correctly God's call for women. His word is clear, yet often I muddy it in the way I portray it and understand it myself. It is good to meditate on the scriptures that directly speak to women as well as read good books on the subject; but we ought not stop there. I think we need to surround ourselves with women who desire God above all else and seek to put His principles into practice even though it doesn't fit the mold of our culture and costs them respect and popularity.

We need women who care about biblical womanhood because they love God’s Word, want to spread the gospel, and long to promote God’s glory.

How about it ladies, are you ready to do your measly bit? You older, godly women are desperately needed today........

^{Titus 2:3-5}

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Proverbs 31:10-31

description of a Worthy Woman

An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 12:4
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rotteness in his bones.

Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

---

I saw this saying on a calendar:  God is on His throne, all is right with the world.     Lately I have been upset by what is going on in the world and in the US.  I have been feeling insecure, like everything is spinning out of control.  But when I read this saying, it stopped me right in my tracks.  I asked myself why I was feeling upset?.  Why was I worried?  Why did everything seem on the verge of collapse?   I realized that I had forgotten who was in charge.  God is definitely on His throne and has everything under His complete control.  None of the problems in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea are a surprise to Him.  The world's financial troubles are just as He has ordained.   I think we have to remember when things happen in our world and in our lives it is just as He wants it to happen. As Christians, I think we need to keep our eyes on the Lord no matter what is going on around us.  He is our anchor.  He is our provider. And nothing can happen in this world that is not under His supreme control.    Things look pretty glim right now on the world scene but who or what are we trusting in?  Our trust should not be in our 401K's, retirement accounts and other earthly riches.  It should be in our sovereign God.  We should not fear men; instead we are told to fear God.

Witty Wednesday

Okay Ladies here is what happened...I was having trouble getting the video that Betsy sent me through an email to blogger. So I took a shortcut and searched for the video on youtube. I found one that looked right, watched the first 15 seconds and saw it was the same and posted it. However, while Betsy's video ended at the 40 second mark, this video kept going for a while which is where the content problems came it. I apologize...from now on I will watch the WHOLE video and not just assume!

Really quickly, I did have a note with the other video: because of some posting issues with the blogger site we have been having, we are just now getting this video up here...9:45pm! So I am going to leave it up all day tomorrow and post the Respectable Sins post on Saturday.

Again, I apologize for the other video and very much hope that we were able to remove it before you saw it!

Here is a video that you can watch...it made me laugh

WOmen DIsciping Women

Oh Jaz, this subject has been in my mind a lot lately. I've been wrestling with this subject for quite some time now. And I'm so glad you guys are talking about it. I do have a question though, what is the difference between service/minister and discipleship? Maybe some of us have been disciple and didn't see it that way. Or maybe we ARE discipling someone and are not calling it by its proper name...

Anyway, that's just my thought. :)
Esme

My response:

Esme, I am certainly not qualified to answer this in a complete way, but here are my thoughts.
The way we often define disciplship is very narrow. I think discipleship is the life of a christian. It is us following our Lord and becoming like Him. He who began the good work in us will complete it, we are being molded in to the image of His Son, Jesus. We are to see Jesus as our Lord and Savior and our example and live out in action (everyday life) the faith we claim to have in Him. Discipleship encompasses all of life. Disciples are not only taught the word, but then pursue obedience to it. So, if we are taking our life as disciples (followers of Jesus) seriously we will be serious about learning who He has revealed Himself to be according to the scriptures.We are in a sense being discipled from the pulpit and bible classes because we are being instructed, but that is not complete. There must be a coming alongside aspect there as well. Service/ministry is the lifestyle of a the disciple; therefore someone who comes alongside of us and with their own two hands, sweat, prayers and tears SHOWS us how to live life in Jesus, they are in fact discipling us as well. A woman who adorns the Gospel is defined by self-control, kindness, husband loving, children loving, home guarding, purity, sensibleness, and being submissive to their own husband. We should want to be like this, but it isn't automatic. It is a life of pursuing God with a whole heart and having women who have been pursuing Him and are able to show us how to cultivate these things in our own lives. And, if we are discipling someone we are shortchanging them if all we do is a Bible study and leave them with the ability to pass a theology test, but they have little ability to live that theology out when it comes to their marriage, child rearing, friendships, ministry, speech, school work, jobs....... life! I would also say that just ministering to them in some way is not a complete view of discipling someone either. It is life, lived together in the gospel as we help one another live the cross centered life. I don't know if that is helpful or make any sense. I know it is incomplete. I hope others will join in on the conversation here and help us work it through.

Here are a few questions I ask myself when I am discipling someone.

1. What are their needs? What is an area or a few areas that they desire to grow in? (such as speech, doctrine,submission, self-control, etc.)

2. What is the best way to help them grow in godliness in these areas?

Make a plan together.

These are some for during the process:

1. Do they see growth?

2. Do I see growth?

3. Have others noticed growth?

In other words, is change visible?

Is the growth in Christ likeness? Remember I am not making mini mes. Though, hopefully they are following you to the degree you follow Christ.

For my own discipleship I think I have to ask similair questions.

Am I living out the gospel in certain aspects of my life more than yesterday?

Do I see Jesus more clearly?

Is that visible in my speech?

Is it visible in my marriage?

Does the person or people discipling me drive me more to Christ and cross centered thinking in the everyday aspects of my life? In other words, Do I deal with my tantrum throwing 2 year old in a gospel exalting way? My husband? Do I submit as unto the Lord? Is my home a place of peace and rest for family, friends and strangers?

We need proper teaching in these areas, but we also need women who will live life with us leading the way! We need older women to center us on God, but put hands and feet to it along with us. Sometimes that means physically showing us, here is what to do. Sometimes it means listening to what we are struggling with and talking us through it. And other times it's coming over and cooking that meal and then saying, "Honey, now you try it." All the while reminding us that we are adorning the gospel of God and displaying His glory for all to see...... so cheer up and do it with great joy!

Remember I am still working through all this myself. I desire to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ everyday for the rest of my life. And, I can't do it alone......

For anyone interested, Susan Hunt has a book on women mentoring women. It is called, Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women.

My husband just ordered this book for me and I am looking forward to digging into it.

Book review

God's Psychology

Charles L. Allen

I enjoyed this book very much. It was better than I expected based on the title. I had expected a book written in very technical language where I would only glean a small amount of information. Instead, I found the book to be written in layman’s language that taught me quite a bit.

Don’t get scarred away by the title, it is definitely applicable to anyone’s Christian walk.
The book is broken up into four parts.

The first part picks apart the 23rd Psalm. It goes into much detail on how to think of God using sheep farming metaphors to help us understand.

The second part goes over the Ten Commandments and shows God’s rules for living. It explains the true meaning behind each commandment. They were brought into a new light for me.

The third part uses the Lord’s Prayer to show how to talk to God. The real meanings of the phrases in the prayer are explained very well.

The fourth part goes through the beatitudes. I have read these keys to the kingdom many times but after reading this part of the book, they took on a whole new meaning.

All of the parts of this book really made me think about my walk with the Lord and how I could improve. It shows that we need to put our whole heart and soul into following the Lord. Going through the motions isn’t how God wants us to live.

The copy of this book that is located in the church’s Resource Center is in giant print, so most anyone should be able to read it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their walk with the Lord. I think we all need to go over the ways God wants us to live periodically.mtfbwy

Being Ministered to as a Ministry...

Have you ever thought that allowing someone to minister to you might minister to them? Or to say it in a less positive way, if you are unwilling to accept help from someone, you are not just "being nice" or "considerate" but rather you are hindering them from using their God given spiritual gift of service?

We have been involved in various ministries at church over the last fifteen years including things like cleaning the church, filling the baptismal, changing the bulletin board, setting up tables and chairs, lawn care, building projects, etc. In addition to these things at the church, a large portion of our lives have been spent working on other people's houses or helping people move or do yard work, etc. For as long as we can recall, we have tried to include our boys in these activities. If it's time to clean the church, the boys go and they help. If we will be laying a floor at our friend's house, the boys go and they help. And so the story goes. Over the years the Lord has developed in our boys a desire and willingness to help out. I am by no means saying that they are perfect or always incredibly diligent; they are still sinners with the same temptations toward laziness that most of us have. However for the most part, they really do love to minister to people.

As the boys have gotten older we have offered their "services" to many people; for the most part in vain. It would seem that most people just don't want to accept help. (Or perhaps they want to accept help but feel that their projects or issues are too inconvenient for others to help them with). I know that sometimes for me to accept help means that I must humble myself and be willing to not obsess over every small detail or micro-manage every aspect of the current project. Sometimes it means that I have to be willing to let someone help who may need some instruction or teaching before they can help me... thus it will take some extra time. All of these things seem overly inconvenient to me which oftentimes means that I choose to "do it myself" rather than seek out or accept help. But what we need to remember is that life isn't just about getting things done. Life is about relationships. First and foremost it is about our relationship with our Lord and secondly our relationship with others. If I want to draw others into a closer relationship with Christ than I must take the time to relate to them and a big part of this is letting them into my house and my life and letting them help me with the "stuff of life".

Looking back over the years I remember with great fondness people whom I've let help me and I offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to God for how he used them in my own life as well as for how wonderfully He has and will continue to bless them for their ministry to me. Honestly, the people whom have impacted me most are not any great scholars that I've read about or people on TV, but rather the people whom have served us meals when we were hungry and clothed us when we were in need of clothing. People whom have encouraged me in sadness and prayed with me in times of confusion. People whom have helped paint my house and put up with my prideful "control issues." People whom have shared Starbucks with me and cried with me and laughed over the crazy situations that we find ourselves in. All of these are forms of help that I had to being willing to accept and which I would not have had opportunity for if I hadn't been willing to relate to these people.

I will close with a story of great blessing. There is a certain family at church who has increasingly been calling up and asking to "use" our boys to accomplish some menial tasks around their house and yard. They don't pay them with money (we would not allow that and our boys would not accept that) however they do bless our boys with a fun filled time of laughter and patient instruction and guidance and good old fashioned hard work... sometimes even a trip to Culvers or a lunch of mac-n-cheese and brats (which really gets my boys excited). This family is so precious to us for many reasons, but one big one is because they are willing to be a really important part of my three sons' growth in Christlikeness by taking them under their "wings" and giving my boys a way to minister to them. Thank you John and Vicki... may God bless you abundantly beyond all you could ever ask or hope or think, just as you have blessed us.

Witty Wednesdays

Hillbilly Security

Roar!!!

Women Discipling Women

Elisabeth Elliott gives something to think about in reference to older women teaching younger women, she says:

It would help younger women to know there are a few listening ears when they don't know what to do with an uncommunicative husband,a 25 pound turkey, or a two year old's tantrum.

It is doubtful that the Apostle Paul had in mind Bible classes or seminars or books when he speaks of teaching younger women. He meant the simple things, the everyday example, the willingness to take time from one's own concerns to pray with an anxious mother, to walk with her the way of the cross - with it's tremendous demand of patience, selflessness, lovingkindness and to show her, in the ordinariness of Monday through Saturday, how to keep a quiet heart.

These lessons will come perhaps more convincingly through rocking a baby, doing some mending, cooking a supper, or cleaning a refrigerator. Through such an example, one young woman - single or married, christian or not - may glimpse the mystery and charity of womanhood.

Has anyone ever thought about the Titus 2:3-5 passage in this way before?

Has anyone had a woman invest their lives into you in this way? If so, I would love to hear testimonies of how this has helped you to live a gospel centered life as Mrs. Elliott put it, Monday through Saturday. How has this prepared you to be an "older woman" to someone else?

I have a few thoughts on this that, Lord willing, over the next few posts I will share. But, I do value the input of others here. Some of you have seen these kind of women and some of you are these kind of women. I would love to hear your thoughts.